Demountable wall flange



Aug. 16, 1938. H. J. MOINEAU DEMOUNTABLE WALL FLANGE Filed March 25, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet l I INVENTOR. Hubert .J. Momeau Au 16, 1938. H. .1. MOINEAU 2,127,230

DEMOUNTABLE WALL FLANGE Filed March 25, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ji 4 '9" 5 I v jig. 7

r INYENTOR. Hubert J. Momeau ATTORNEY.

1938. H. .3. NIIOINEAU 2,127,230

DEMOUNTABLE WALL FLANGE Filed March 25, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. Hubert J. Momeau ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 16, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFEQE Application March 25,

Claims.

This invention is a demountable wall flange adapted to be associated with and form a support for bathroom fixtures, and more particularly soap dishes, tumbler holders, towel bars, toilet paper 5 holders, etc.

The object of the invention is to provide an economical and efiicient construction wherein such fixtures may be mounted in readily detachable position upon a wall by means of screws or nails which are normally concealed from view.

Speaking generally, the wall flange of the present invention comprises two plates, hereinafter referred to as a back plate and a front plate. The back plate is adapted to be mounted on a wall by screws or nails passed through perforations provided in the plate and preferably countersunk, so that the back plate can be rigidly and permanently secured in position. The back plate is provided with openings and bridging said openings is a leaf spring positioned against the back face of said plate. The front plate has rearwardly extending hooks arranged in pairs with the hooks of each pair extending in opposite directions and so located that, when the hooks are passed through the openings in the back plate, they may be brought into clamping relation between the spring and the distant ends of the openings and thus be resiliently engaged with the back plate in such manner as to preclude inadvertent disengagement of the parts but to permit the front plate to be readily demounted when desired. The fixture to be supported by the flange construction described is permanently associated with the front plate.

Marked advantages of the present invention reside in the simplicity of its construction, its economy of manufacture and thorough practicability in use.

Features of the invention, other than those adverted to, will be apparent from the hereinafter detailed description and claims, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one practical embodiment of the invention, but the construction therein shown is to be understood as illustrative, only, and not as defining the limits of the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the present invention associated with a soap dish and with the front plate removed from the back plate.

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section through the back plate showing the first step in the operation of mounting the front plate there- 55 on. In this view the plate is shown in elevation 1937, Serial No. 132,922

and the soap dish is shown in fragmental section.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but showing the next two steps in the operation of assembling the front plate and the back plate to bring these parts into final interlocked relation.

Figure 4 is a back View of the construction showing the back plate in rear elevation and the hooks of the front plate in a position corresponding to that of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a section through the back plate on the line 5-5 of Figure i, the front plate being entirely omitted and the spring being also omitted in the interest of clearness.

Figure 6 is a view corresponding to Figure 4, but

showing the hooks of the front plate in the position corresponding to the full line position of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figures 4 and 6, but showing the hooks of the front plate in the finally locked position corresponding to the dotted lines position of Figure 3.

Figures 8, 9 and 10 are views respectively corresponding to Figures 1, 2 and 3, but showing an inverted construction hereinafter described.

Referring to the drawings, I designates a back plate which, in practice, may be conveniently stamped up from sheet metal in such a way as to dish the back of the plate and impart thereto sufficient thickness to be ornamental and also to permit of an interior dimension sufiicient to receive the tabs of the front plate, presently described.

As shown in the drawings, the back plate is provided with upright slots 2 adjacent its opposite ends, while between these slots the plate is punched to form countersunk holes 3 through which screws 4 may be passed as shown in Figure 5. The screws may be screwed into any firm support, such as a wall 5, shown in the latter figure, to firmly mount the back plate I thereon.

Extending across the back of the back plate is a leaf spring 6 held in place by a pair of rearwardly stamped retainers l and an intermediate punched boss 8 which holds the spring 6 in a bowed condition and under tension with its opposite ends extending across the lower ends of the slots 2.

It is to be noted that the back plate is stamped up to provide the marginal skirt 5 which gives it the desired depth, while the countersunk holes 7 screwed in tightly to rigidly secure the back plate in position without deforming the latter.

The front plate l0 may also be conveniently stamped up from sheet metal with a marginal skirt I l to give it the desired appearance of depth and the lateral edges of said skirt are provided with rearwardly extending upright tabs l2. These tabs are provided in their upper end with notches [3 of a width substantially equal to the thickness of the stock from which the back plate is punched. In the lower edges of the tabs I2 are similar notches [4, but these latter notches are somewhat wider and may conveniently be of a width substantially equal to the combined thickness of the stock of the back plate and the diameter of the spring 6. The notches I3 and [4' thus form at the top and bottom of each tab upwardly and downwardly extending hooks l3 and M, respectively.

The fixture to be detachably mounted by the structure of this invention may vary within wide limits, but, for the purpose of illustration, it is shown as a soap dish i5, the frame of which is welded to the front of the front plate ID, as clearly shown in Figure l. I wish it understood, however, that I may use the flange of this invention for any fixture and that the showing of the soap dish is not to be understood as limiting the use of this invention.

The parts are manufactured as shown in Figure l with the front and back plates separate from one another. In securing the mounting on a firm support the back plate is first secured in place by passing screws 4 through the countersunk openings 3 into the support 5. The lower portions of the tabs l2 are passed through the upright slots 2 and the lower hooks I4 are hooked over the spring 6, as shown in Figure 2. Thereafter pivotal movement is imparted to the front plate, as indicated by the arrow in Figure 2, and at the same time a slight downward pressure is exerted on the fixture I5, in order to bring the rounded camming edges I6 of the hooks I 3 into engagement with the upper ends of the slots 2. Continued pressure in the direction of the arrow .will cause the tabs I2 to pass entirely through the slots 2 and through the position shown in full lines in Figure 3 until the notches l3 aline with the wall of the back plate, whereupon the spring 6 will elevate the tabs I2 and cause the hooks l3 to snap into engagement with the back plate, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3 and in full lines in Figure 7.

The parts will thereupon be in assembled relation and will remain so until it is desired to remove the fixture. To accomplish this, downward pressure is applied to the front plate II] or to the fixture adjacent the front plate, and when this pressure is sufiicient to force down the ends of the spring 6, the upper hooks l3 may be disengaged from the wall of the back plate and the front plate may be then removed by reversing the operations described.

It will be noted, however, that, when the front plate is in mounted position the screws 4 will be concealed and the front and back plates will appear to the casual observer as a unit, without any visible means of attachment either to one another or to the wall. Nevertheless the parts may be assembled or dismantled in an expeditious and efficient manner. When the parts are assembled there is practically no tendency to inadvertently disengage them through the application to the part l5 of those forces to which such fixtures are generally subjected. This will be apparent from the fact that, when weight is applied to the fixture, it is transmitted to the front plate through leverage which sets up a shearing strain on the hooks [3, rather than a downward pressure. The spring 6 is more than adequate to withstand the normal downward pressure, so that the actual load is carried by the hooks l3 and these are well adapted to withstand the strains of ordinary use. Nevertheless when the front plate is to be removed, the pressure is applied directly to the front plate or in such close proximity thereto that the pressure is entirely or almost entirely downwardly and this permits the removal of the 1 parts.

I have found that the form of the invention described is the best form for practical purposes. It is apparent, however, that the structure may be used in an inverted position by simply welding the soap dish upsidedown on the front plate ll). In this case, the Whole of the resulting structure would be inverted and the spring would coact with the notches [4' at the top instead of at the bottom as shown in Figures 8, 9 and 10. Similarly it is within the purview of this invention to mount the soap dish on the front plate at an angle of to the position shown, so that, when the parts are mounted, both plates will be upright instead of horizontal as illustrated, while the slots 2 will extend in a horizontal direction. I do not find these latter two structures as desirable as the preferred form of the invention shown, but the present invention is to be understood as not limited to the arrangement illustrated, as others may prefer the modifications described. The claims are, therefore, to be construed accordingly.

It will be noted that the front plate Ill, as well as the beveled skirt of the back plate l, are provided with bosses H and 18, respectively, which register with one another. These bosses not only serve to strengthen the plates and impart a pleasing appearance thereto, but the bosses I'l facilitate the welding of the fixture 15 to the front plate.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A demountable wall flange comprising face abutting back and front plates, the former of which is provided with spaced apart openings and the latter of which has spaced apart pairs of oppositely facing hooks adapted to be passed through the respective openings, and resilient means on the back plate engaging with one hook of each pair to force the other hook of such pair into hooked engagement'with the edge of the corresponding opening and resiliently maintain it in such position, said resilient means being retractable to permit of the release of all of the hooks and the separation of said plates.

2. A demountable wall'flange comprising a supporting back plate provided with spaced apart openings and having perforations through which screws may be passed to rigidly mount the plate on a firm support, a spring carried by the back plate and extending across said openings, a front plate adapted to cover the screw perforations and having spaced apart pairs of oppositely facing hooks to pass through the respective openings in the back plate and respectively engage with the spring and the distant ends of the openings to detachably mount the front plate on the back plate.

3. A demountable wall flange comprising a supporting back plate provided with spaced apart slots, a leaf spring mounted to extend across the back of said plate and project across one end of each slot, a fixture carrying front plate having rearwardly extending spaced apart hooks arranged in pairs with the hooks of each pair projecting in opposite directions and positioned to be received into one of the slots to be respectively engaged by and resiliently clamped between the spring and the distant end of the slot.

4. A demountable wall flange comprising a supporting back plate provided therein with spaced apart slots and having a rearwardly extending peripheral skirt forming therein a chamber, perforated bosses on the back plate extending to the plane of the free edge of the skirt and adapted to receive attaching screws, a leaf spring mounted in said chamber to extend across the back of said plate and project across one end of each slot, in combination with a fixture carrying front plate having rearwardly extending spaced apart hooks arranged in pairs with the hooks of each pair projecting in opposite directions and positioned to be received into one of the slots to be respectively engaged by and resiliently clamped between the spring and the distant end of the slot.

5. In a demountable wall flange the combination of a supporting back plate having therein a slot, a fixture carrying front plate provided with hooks extending in opposite directions and adapted to project through the slot to engage one of said hooks with one abutting edge of the slot, and a movable abutment comprising a resilient member and positioned at the back of the back plate and overlapping the slot to resiliently engage with the other hook and resiliently clamp the hooks between said movable abutment and said abutting edge of the slot to maintain the front and back plates in assembled relation.

HUBERT J. MOINEAU. 

